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Destination Spotlight: Martinique
Sailing aboard a catamaran, touring rum distilleries, dining at gourmet restaurants… yes, IgoUgo Editorial Assistant MoDean somehow fit all of her Martinique sightseeing into just 1 week. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it, right?
From An Unexpected Cultural Turn Along the Beaten Path
No matter how much of the Caribbean you've traveled, how many unspoiled beaches, fantastic resorts, or best-kept secrets you've discovered, prepare for a whole new experience on Martinique.
Of course, you can still go sailing or get a massage in an open-air cabana on the ocean. But—let's be honest here—you can do that anywhere. Beyond the beach life, Martinique takes on a richer, more colorful personality. It's not because of brightly painted houses or reggae motifs, but because of the island's fascinating history and unique brand of Creole culture.
Martinique lies in the Windward chain of Caribbean islands, just south of Dominica and north of St. Lucia. Known as the “Island of Flowers,” it has a lush volcanic landscape capped by the iconic Mount Pelée. Though it has changed hands multiple times—from France to Britain and back again—its culture is unmistakably French. In fact, if it weren't for glimpses of ocean and emerald pitons in the distance, you might forget you're not in France. Old-fashioned boulangeries and ice-cream shops dot the streets of fishing villages, French is the language predominantly spoken, and France's social welfare system lends the island a functional, self-assured feeling, which is quite a departure from the stark poverty and aggressive pursuit of tourism dollars found on many Caribbean islands.
Perhaps most notable, however, is Martinique's arresting history, which is marked by slavery and the theatrics of European power struggles. Anse Latouche, a historic site-cum-botanical garden, was cultivated on the ruins of perhaps the oldest dwelling in Martinique, which was destroyed in the catastrophic 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée. The former capital city of St. Pierre, devastated in the same eruption, is a mini-Pompeii on the island's northwestern coast, replete with fascinating, virtually untouched ruins. Traditional Creole restaurant Le Ghetto is housed in what was at various times a slave-run factory, a school, and a jail. Even the exquisitely landscaped Martinique Golf Course in Trois Ilets occupies the grounds of an old sugarcane mill (Empress Josephine, Napoleon Bonaparte's Martinican first wife, is rumored to have had her first kiss by the nearby river).
Even if you're no stranger to the pleasures of beach vacationing, it's not often you find those gorgeous beaches juxtaposed with a multifaceted culture, fabulous food akin to that of any cosmopolitan city, and plain, hard-earned charisma. A juicy slice of France in the Caribbean, Martinique has a tantalizing sense of history, and its vibrant culture is bound to stay deeply ingrained long after your visit is over.
